Dynamic Kitchen Backsplash: Interior Natural Stone Materials

Rhode Island homeowners are always looking for new ways to upgrade or remodel their homes. The room that is most often remodeled in any state across the country is the kitchen. Designers are experimenting with new ideas in backsplash for kitchen walls to create a visually-appealing and functional upgrade that will provide many years of beautiful protection and aesthetically-pleasing decoration.

Natural Stone Veneer for Indoor Kitchen Design
One of the latest trends is the use of natural stone veneer in place of ceramic tile, glass tile and other traditional backsplash materials. By using interior natural stone materials, homeowners in Pawtucket, for example, can tie in the look and feel of natural stone from other areas of their home in with their kitchen. While using natural stone veneer to cover a fireplace or built-in outdoor kitchen has become very commonplace, many homeowners are still experimenting with the effects of using natural stone for indoor kitchen design.

Natural stone veneer comes in a wide variety of beautiful colors and textures, requiring very little maintenance. Made from real natural stone materials, the veneer is a fifth of the weight attributed to full-thickness stone and is only about an inch thick. What this means is that it can be applied to just about any surface for decorative purposes without having to consider the amount of weight that the stone could add to the structure. Using full-thickness stone means having to reconfigure or at least reconsider the structural integrity of a load bearing wall to ensure that it won’t add too much weight.

Interior natural stone materials that are sliced into veneer thickness are a very affordable solution for homeowners who want to upgrade their kitchens, but just don’t have the budget to hire a masonry expert to install full-thickness stones in their home. The natural stone veneer looks great with just about any color scheme, indoor kitchen design or style, complementing or highlighting kitchen counter tops and cupboards beautifully.

More About Natural Stone Veneer
There are many names used within the industry to describe natural stone veneer, including stacked stone, stone facing or natural thin stone veneer. It is more costly than tile or some other popular materials used to create backsplash for kitchen walls, but it is very cost-effective because it out-lasts and out-performs these materials, providing Pawtucket homeowners with a real return on their investment.

If you have never worked with interior natural stone materials before, you might want to hire a professional to install your natural stone veneer backsplash for kitchen walls. The walls must be prepared according to the manufacturers directions and, in some cases, a structural support may be required. If you aren’t sure how to install natural stone veneer in your indoor kitchen design, at least consult with an experienced customer service or sales representative at J&J Materials. Our team is very familiar with this product and can help point you in the right direction.

Older style natural stone veneer is much thicker, approximately four to six inches in depth. Today’s technology has helped manufacturers to use interior natural stone materials to create natural stone veneer that is anywhere from five-eighths of an inch on up to one-and-a-half inches at a materials price that is comparable to manufactured veneers. This allows homeowners to get real natural stone veneer with all of the texture, function and benefits of quality natural stone materials at a price that they can afford. On average, most thin veneers weigh only 14 pounds or less per square foot.

How to Install Natural Stone Veneer
Because it is much smaller and lightweight than other natural stone materials, thin natural stone veneer can be installed by homeowners themselves to create a beautiful backsplash for kitchen walls. In fact, there are videos and how-to tutorials available online that can help you build your knowledge and confidence in doing this type of indoor kitchen design. Some manufacturers provide installation guides and recommend careful reviewing before starting the indoor kitchen design installation process. Interior natural stone materials only need to be sealed if they will be exposed to extreme temperatures. Outdoor natural stone veneer should always be sealed in the northeastern states due to the extreme temperature changes, as well as because of the exposure to snow, ice and moisture.

Basic installation involves starting with a clean, dry surface that is waterproof. Untreated concrete, block, brick and other masonry materials will not need to be treated, but wood or wallboard should have a vapor barrier installed to ensure best results. The thin natural stone veneer can be trimmed or adjusted using an angle grinder with a diamond blade or a brick hammer. The backs of the stones are “buttered” using mortar or another recommended adhesive, and are pressed onto the surface until it sets. Once all the stones are placed, the joints can be grouted using the same mortar or adhesive. The finished backsplash for kitchen must set for a couple of hours until it is firm before any particles can be brushed away or the joints cleaned from excess mortar.

Where to Get Interior Natural Stone Materials
Visit J&J Materials to get the best quality natural stone veneer available for indoor kitchen design, as well as for exterior outdoor living space and kitchen use. With two locations in Southeastern Massachusetts and a delivery range that includes all of Rhode Island, Pawtucket homeowners can feel confident in ordering materials for their backsplash for kitchen or other home improvement project from J&J Materials. In addition to exterior and interior natural stone materials, J&J Materials has a wide variety of top name pavers, blocks, natural stone, landscaping, hardscaping and masonry materials, accessories, products and tools.

Payment Methods

J&J Materials offers a combination of convenient payment methods including acceptance of most major credit cards, homeowner financing as well as our own credit arrangements for industry contractors and professionals. (Please contact our Credit Department for further information.)